Faithful Seventh Son

Synopsis     2Maccabees 7:12-27     4/6/2021 

King Antiochus directed the torture and killing of seven Jewish brothers. They were all sons of one mother. And the king forced her to be with her sons. He wanted her to see them killed one by one.  

The king had outlawed the Jewish religion. So, his purpose in torturing and killing the brothers was to get them to renounce Judaism. He thought eventually one would capitulate.  

However, the mother urged her sons to remain faithful even in the face of torture and death. And so, the first six died terrible, painful deaths. The king finally came to the seventh son. At this point, he began to marvel at their courage and faithfulness. But he wanted to make an example of them. So, for the seventh son, he offered to release him if him renounced Judaism. But more than that, he offered him riches and power.  

Still the seventh son refused. And so, he was killed. And finally, King Antiochus directed the mother to be executed.  

Faithful Seventh Son 

The king was desperate for a convert. And so, he offered liberty as well as riches and power. And yet, the value he offered was not enough to move the seventh son.  

Faithfulness 

“Knowing Jesus Christ is the highest good.”  

Of course, if this is true, it will be obviously manifest in my manner of life.  

“More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ” Phil 3:8